This invention relates to new and useful improvements in air operated mills, particularly mills designed for installation upon bodies of water such as ponds, dugouts, dams, lakes and the like.
Such bodies of water, particularly relatively small bodies of water such as dugouts and ponds, often suffer from lack of oxygen and circulation particularly during hot summer weather.
There is a need to aerate such bodies of water particularly when same are used for fish farming or as a water supply for cattle or farm homes and the like.
In the hot weather, algae growth is a problem and if it is extremely hot it is often necessary to spray the body of water with copper sulfate once a month although excessive use of such chemicals will completely kill all plant life and also use up all of the oxygen present within the water thus killing all other life and creating dead murky water.
In contrast, ice cover in the winter causes plant life to decay without oxygen (aerobic decomposition) thus creating ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases to give murky tainted odorous "black water".
The present device overcomes difficulties present both in summer and winter, in such bodies of water by circulating the water locally by drawing deep water upwardly and then spreading it outwardly from the device. This helps prevent stagnation by the circulation of the deeper water to the surface and this deeper water, being warmer than the surface water, also assists in melting the ice cover.
It has been found that open water will remain clear of ice cover depending on the wind and air temperature, from a diameter of fourteen feet to sixty feet and it has been found that the use of the present device will upgrade most pond water to drinking water quality.
This is accomplished by the provision of a flotation platform supporting an air operated drive shaft having a propeller on the lower end thereof below the water surface, the direction of the blades drawing the water inwardly and upwardly and circulating it outwardly from the propeller. Although several means can be used to rotate the drive shaft, the preferred method is by means of a wind turbine secured to the upper end of the drive shaft so that the device operates with the minimum of air movement across the surface of the body of water.
In accordance with the invention therefore, there is provided an air driven water mill for bodies of water such as dugouts, ponds, dams, lakes and the like; comprising in combination a flotation platform, a mast assembly supported by said flotation platform and extending upwardly therefrom, means to support said mast upon said flotation platform, a drive shaft journal for rotation within said mast assembly, air driven means secured to the upper end of said shaft and a propeller secured to the lower end of said shaft and situated below the water surface when installed upon the associated body of water.
Another advantage of the invention is to enable fish to be wintered successfully and to eliminate what is known as "slough water" taste both in summer and winter by aeration of the water body by means of the present device. The device also assists in cooling the water in the summer by circulating the cooler, deeper water to the surface thus helping to prevent the growth of algae and encourage shrimp and other food sources to live and multiply.
A further advantage of the invention is to provide a device which is easily transported in a knocked down condition and can readily be assembled on site when required.
A further advantage of the invention is to provide a device which assists in maintaining the quality of water particularly in relatively small ponds or dugouts and which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: